Tank hand-hole and cover



A. F. OCONNOR.

TANK HAND HOLE AND COVER.

APPLICATloN man Ammo, |918.

1,339,905. Peltd May 11, 1920,

"UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION RAILWAY EQUIPMENT CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F SOUTH `DAKOTA.

TANK HAND-HOLE AND COVER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May i1, 1920.

Application led April 20, 1918. Serial No. 229,726.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR F. OCON- Non, a citizen of the United States, residing' and Covers, of which the following is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates'to hand-holes and covers for tanks, it being particularly. useful for sheet metal tanks in which an easily operable tight liand-hole cover is required. An object of my invention is to provide a hand-hole and cover adapted for use principally with thin sheet metal tanks and in which the cover may be readily locked over the hand-hole base so as to maintain a tight' joint and be readily removed without loosening the fittings such as would cause a leakage at the joints.

In the hand-holes and covers heretofore Y in use on the thin metal brine tanks in refrigerator cars, difficulty has been encountered in maintaining a tight joint at the seat and where the base of the handhole cover joins the tank. In manipulating these covers, that is, in putting them on and taking them on, the hand-hole base is disturbed where lconnected to the tank, and leakage frequently occurs. Also, difliculty has been encountered in providing a suitable construction inv which the gasket be* tween the base and cover is maintained in proper condition. To overcome these defects I have provided a hand-hole and cover having a disk-like base which is secured to the tank and to which the cover is preferably pivotally secured. A locking lever spans the base and gate and is pivotally sccured preferably to the gate and carries eccentrically disposed locking lugs at its ends which coperate with lugs on the base for locking the gate in position.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters indicate like parts and in Which- Figure 1 is a face view of the hand-hole and cover of my invention in its preferred form; and

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Now as to the detailed construction of the preferred form of my invention, it' comprises a base 5 preferably in the form of an oval disk-like frame having a peripheral flanfre adapted to be secured to the tank 6 preferably by means of rivets 7, this flange having a hand-hole 8 extending therethrough. I also provide a cover for the hand-hole in the form of a disk-like gate 9 vwhich I preferably pivot to the base by means of a shaft 1() which extends through lugs 11 upon the base and hinge lugs 12 carried by the gate, the shaft 10 passing through elongated openings 13 in the gate lugs 12 so as to allow some play inthe cover plate 9 toward and away from the hand-hole seat. This seat is preferably a rubber gasket 14 which is drawn over the recessed edge 15 on ythe base, projectingl slightly beyond the metal edge 15 so as to permit compression and provide a tight joint.

In order to suitably lock the gate or cover plate 9 upon the hand-hole sea-t I provide a cam locking device in the form of a mal leable iron locking lever comprising a shaft 16 pivotally supported upon the gate 9 by seating the shaft 16 between lugs 17 and holding it in place by cotter pins 18, the pins 18 being set out far enough to permit a free transverseplay of the shaft 16. This locking lever shaft 16 spans the gate 9 and the base 5 and carries a locking cam at each end in the form of an eccentrically disposed lug 19 adapted to hook under the recessed lugs 20 carried by the base 5. In order to manipulate the locking lugs I provide a handle or lever 21 which extends from the shaft 16 so that the cams 19 may be rotated to coperate with the stationary locking lugs 20. This handle may be bent, if necessary, so as to properly adjust the lugs 19 and bring the handle in locking position. In order to hold the locking lugs in lockingr position I provide a lug 22 adapted to project through the lever 21 when the lever is moved to its locking position, ahook 23 being adapted to be inserted through the lug 22 so as to hold the locking lever closed.

From the foregoing description taken together with the drawing it will be apparent that in my improved device the gate or cover' plate for the haiid-hole may be readily closed and firmly locked into position due to the coperation of the cam lug which forces the gate 9 toward the hand hole, thereby compressing the rubber gasket 14: and forming a tight joint. The transverse play of the cam lug shaft 1G in the lugs 17 permits rotation of the cam shaft 16 so asto properly nianipulate the locking cams 19, the shaft 16 during its compressing or closing movement acting upon ,the face 25 of the gate. The playn at the hinge of the cover plate, that is, at the shaft bearing 13 permits a parallel adjustment of the gate 9 toward the handhole seat when the hand-hole is to be closed.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention I have illustrated it in its preferred form but l understand that changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art and therefore I do not desire to be limited to the exact structure shown and described but aim to cover all that which comes within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hand-hole cover for tanks comprising a base having a hand-hole, a. gate for closing the hand-hole, spaced apart lugs on the gate, a pair of recessed lugs on the base, and a lever pivotally carried by the gate and having eccentrically disposed lugs coperable vvith the base lugs for locking the gate and base, said lever having movement between said lugs transversely of the gate.

A hand-hole cover for ltanks comprising a base having a hand-hole, a gate slidably and pivotally supported by the base for closing the hand-hole, a pair of lugs on the base, and a lever pivotally carried by the gate and having eccentrically disposed lugs coperable with the base lugs for locking the gate and base and locking means for said lever carried by said gate.

3. A hand-hole cover for tanks comprising a base element having a hand-hole, a shaft carried by the base element, a gate element slidably and pivotally mounted on the shaft for closing the hand-hole, a pair oiz lugs on one element. and a lever pivotally carried by the Vother element and having eccentrically disposed lugs coperable directly with the other lugs for locking the gate and base.

4C. A hand-hole cover fortanks comprising a base element having a hand-hole, a gate element pivotally connected to the base by a 'floating pivot for closing the hand-hole, a pair of lugs on one element, and a lever pivotally carried by the other element and slidable transversely thereon and having eccentrically disposed lugs coperable with the other lugs for locking the gate and base.

A hand-hole cover for tanks comprising a disk-like base element having a handhole, a disk-like gate element pivoted to said base element and closing the hand-hole, a pair of lugs on one element, spaced apart lugs on the other element and a pivotally mounted lever positioned between the second named lugs spanning said elements and having eccentrically disposed lugs coperable with the first lugs for locking the gate and base, said gate element being bodily movable independently of its pivot.

6. A hand-hole cover tor tanks comprising a disk-like base element having a handhole, a disk-like gate element pivotally supported by the base for closing the hand-hole, a pair of lugs on one element, and a pivotally mounted lever supported by one of said elements and spanning said elements and having eccentrically disposed lugs coperable with the other lugs for locking the gate and base, the connection between the lever and its supporting element permitting movement of the lever transversely to its supporting element. z

7. A hand-hole cover for tanks lcomprising a disk-like haseelement having a handhole, 'a disk-like gate element slidably and pivotally supported by the base for closing the hand-hole, a pivotally mounted lever carried by one of said elements spanning the base and gate and carrying eccentric cams cooperative with the other element for locking the gate to the base and locking means for said lever carried by one of said elements.

8. A hand-hole cover for tanks comprising a. disk-like base having a hand-hole, a disk-like gate pivotally connected to the base by a sliding pivot Jfor closing the hand-hole, a locking lever having a shaft pivotally mounted on the gate and spanning the gate and base., an eccentric lug at each end ot the shaft, and lugs on the hase cooperative with the locking-lever lugs for locking the gate to the base.

ln witness whereof .lf hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day of March, A. l). 1918.

ARTHUR F. OCONNOR. 

